


the only hope for me is you

by BillieJoeArmstrong



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Fluff, M/M, My Chemical Romance References, Nostalgia, david wears eyeliner so if that appeals to y'all... here you go
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2021-01-20 19:29:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21286967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BillieJoeArmstrong/pseuds/BillieJoeArmstrong
Summary: David reminisces on his emo phase after a certain band announce a reunion.
Relationships: Patrick Brewer/David Rose
Comments: 3
Kudos: 50





	the only hope for me is you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cafetropical](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cafetropical/gifts).

Halloween day started like any other. David woke up in bed next to the love of his life, went about his morning routine listening through headphones to his "nostalgia" playlist - filled with emo and pop punk jams from his early twenties - and headed off with Patrick to their store.

It was around lunchtime that the news dropped. He had been stocking shelves while scrolling instagram on his phone when a post took him by surprise.

"Holy fuck!" David cried, the pot of moisturiser he had been holding slipping from his fingers and smashing to the floor. David let out a sob as he stared at the post and dropped to the ground, sitting among the broken glass with his hand over his mouth.

"David, what happened?" Patrick appeared from the storeroom, a look of concern on his face. Upon seeing David curled into himself on the floor, he rushed over and crouched next to him, careful to avoid the shattered glass. "Are you okay?" his voice was soft but worried.

David was still staring at his phone screen but looked up when he felt Patrick place a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah," David grunted, wiping his eyes. "I'm good. Great, actually." He choked out a laugh and handed his phone to his fiancé.

Patrick looked at the post. A picture of a statue, two figures curved around each other, with a caption that read "california 2019." Patrick didn't know what to make of it. "Did someone die..?" he asked carefully.

David shook his head. "It's about a band. They, uh, got back together."

Patrick raised his eyebrows. He knew his fiancé was dramatic at the best of times - it was one of the many things he loved about him - but sobbing on the floor over a music group seemed extreme. "Alright, well, why don't you get up, and we clean up this glass... and we leave any more crying over bands until we get home?" Patrick said calmly, standing and offering a hand.

David nodded and collected himself, taking Patrick's hand and pulling himself up. He pushed any thoughts of _ black parades _ and _ danger days _ to the back of his mind as he and Patrick swept up the broken glass and got on with their afternoon at work. 

It wasn't until later that evening, when David went back to the motel to pick up some fresh clothes - he spent most nights at Patrick's apartment but was yet to formally move in - that he remembered the post. He opened instagram immediately and searched Gerard Way's name, wondering for a second if it had been a dream. David sighed in relief upon seeing the post again, the one declaring My Chemical Romance were making a return. David googled the band's name, desperate for more information, and sat on the edge of his bed reading article after article confirming a reunion concert was set for December 20th in California.

Overwhelmed with emotion and nostalgia, David placed his phone down and stood quickly. He crossed the room to the closet and opened the doors. Kneeling down, he pulled out a cardboard shoe box, battered and taped closed. 

David carried the box back to his bed, placing it down and staring at it for a moment. The box was a relic of old. Everything inside belonged to a man young and scared and lonely, who desperately needed something to cling to and make him feel okay. David wasn't that man anymore.

But he was thinking about that man - more specifically, he was thinking about the music that man listened to.

David tore off the tape holding the box closed and lifted the lid. Inside, a stack of CDs sat nestled among rubber bracelets, worn black t shirts and stubs of eyeliner pencils that were almost definitely expired.

Squinting at the items, David picked up a shirt and unfolded it. The handful of tour shirts were about the only items of clothing David owned that weren't designer. David held the shirt out in front of him, inspecting the faded and cracked print that depicted a haunted-looking castle, the band's name circling it.

David put the shirt down and next picked up the CDs. An original copy of Pencey Prep's _ Heartbreak in Stereo _ and Fall Out Boy's _ Take This To Your Grave _ were in a used-but-decent condition. More importantly, though, were the scuffed, well-loved copies of _ I Brought You My Bullets You Brought Me Your Love _ , _ Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge _ , _ The Black Parade _ , and _ Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys _, as well as a couple of live albums and rare singles and EPs.

My Chemical Romance had meant a lot to David through the formative years of his twenties. It wasn't news to anyone that David was a lonely person who spent much of his life feeling lost and alone. But the band had been a comfort - their concerts especially. As slightly embarrassing in hindsight as it seems, David had found comfort in screaming along to a song about not being okay with a crowd of strangers who felt just as anxious and hurt. It was nice to know he wasn't really alone.

The announcement that the band was returning, even just for one show, was stirring up memories in David's mind. He felt an overwhelming urge to relive that experience. Embody some of that person he used to be. Not so much emotionally - he never wanted to return to feeling that sad and unsure - but to reminisce on the hope and solace that band and scene had once brought him.

So David pulled up spotify on his phone and hit play on “Helena”, turning the volume up to full. He prayed he wouldn't get an eye infection as he picked up the stub of an eyeliner pencil and walked to the bathroom to apply it.

Twenty minutes and several accidental stabs in the eye later, David heard the sound of Patrick's car pulling up to the motel. He turned off the music and finished placing his carefully folded clothes - as well as his stack of CDs - in a leather bag, and walked out to meet his fiancé.

As soon as David climbed in the passenger seat he leaned over to give Patrick a quick kiss. "How was grocery shopping?" he asked as he pulled back.

"It was fine." Patrick was staring at David with a quizzical look. "What's all this?" he gestured to the dark rings of pigment smudged around his fiancé's eyes.

"It's my face," David answered plainly.

"I know that," Patrick grinned, "but I meant what's with this guyliner situation?"

"Well first of all makeup doesn't have a gender," David stated, "and I'm just.. Going through something, right now."

"Is this about that band?" Patrick asked, ever aware of David's thought process.

"It is," David said, pursing his lips, "but I don't really want to get into it right now."

Patrick nodded. "Alright," he said, starting the car, "home, then?"

"Home," David smiled.

They didn't talk about the band immediately upon arriving at Patrick’s apartment, instead discussing work and wedding plans while they ate dinner and got ready for bed.

"You're not gonna wash that eyeliner off before you sleep?" Patrick asked, already in bed as David slid under the covers beside him wearing a snug-fitting t shirt with "revenge" printed across the front in faded red.

"It actually adds to the effect if you sleep in it," David explained.

"Ah, of course," Patrick raised his eyebrows in a way that said _ I'm being sarcastic but also think you're charming _, "and what, exactly, is that effect?"

David sighed and slid further down under the covers. "So like... I had an entire scene phase in my twenties."

"You've told me about this," Patrick said gently, "in passing."

"Yeah," David paused, "well one of the bands I listened to a lot back then was My Chemical Romance."

"Sounds appropriately edgy," Patrick smirked, then fell serious. "Sorry, keep going."

"They helped me.. A lot." David shrugged, "I saw them live, like, twenty times over their career. They always seemed to be around when I needed them. When I needed to just feel something..." he sighed, "it was cathartic. The screaming and the moshing and the feeling of being part of something and... what's that look on your face for?" David became distracted by the sparkle in his fiancé's eyes and the soft upturn of his lips.

"Picturing you moshing," Patrick said, voice fond.

"Yeah well, this was like, fifteen years ago," David smiled shyly. "Anyway, then they broke up. Out of nowhere with a post on their website. It was like the end of the world. I lost, like, the one source of comfort I had."

Patrick nodded, understanding. "And now they're back and you're remembering everything they meant to you," he clarified.

"Yeah," David said softly.

"Well," Patrick started, sliding under the covers and shifting across to press a kiss to his fiancé's cheek, "first of all I think this eyeliner’s a really good look on you." He kissed David's lips.

"Mmm..." David smirked into the kiss. "You think so?"

"Oh yeah, it's hot." Patrick spoke between kisses. "And," he pulled back after one last quick kiss, "I would really love for you to show me this Chemical Romance of yours some time."

"That's not the band name," David shook his head but he was smiling. "I don't really think they'd be your thing."

"They're important to the man I love, so I think they're great already." Patrick said earnestly.

"Well in that case... I do have some ideas for wedding songs," David started, but quickly shut up as Patrick raised an eyebrow and leaned in to kiss him again.

**Author's Note:**

> And then if David cried when Patrick surprised him with a long weekend trip to California and tickets to the band's reunion show that was just him being emo.
> 
> Find me on tumblr or twitter @swiftscreek


End file.
